


The Hidden Flame

by BastardSonOfDay (Diana_Raven)



Series: Bingo Prompts [8]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Band of Exiles, Gen, anti-acofas, but its canon, dont worry dont worry rhysand lives, either that or she just doesnt like these characters and regrets introducing them, eris is a goodish brother, hes just dead for like 7 words, i cant believe im writing about the band of exiles, i hate that so much and what sjm has done to lucien, i like them in theory but sjm just as no idea how to write well anymore i guess cuz....., idk i just kinda totally hate this cuz yeah, me??? writing a fic about the band of exiles??? its more likely than you'd think, not really descriptions of violence but descriptions of pain and wounds so....., she didnt do this well, yes this is happening now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 10:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14809430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Raven/pseuds/BastardSonOfDay
Summary: Lucien didn't want to trouble anyone. Besides, Rhysand was dead. They had other things to worry about.





	The Hidden Flame

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hiding an injury/illness
> 
> I do like the concept of Vassa (I've always been a fan of Swan Lake), I just hate how shoehorned she is in the series. I hope the second series gets more into her because right now...... imo she doesn't really make sense.... you know?

Rhysand took his first breath and everyone else let out theirs. Feyre cried out, running to him. Tamlin looked down at his hands, he trembled. Helion laughed and made a joke, and Viviane threatened to kill him and slowly everything molded back to normal. Rhysand laughed, everything was good. Everything was great.

Lucien was dizzy.

His breath came slowly and awkwardly. His hand was still bloody, and he knew that the ash wound wouldn’t heal on it’s own. Rhysand seemed okay. At least Rhysand was okay.

“Hey, Lucien,” Vassa said, “you look a little ashen, you okay?”

_Funny you say that._

Lucien opened his mouth to respond. He took a step forward, and his foot twisted. He landed on his ankle and fell to the ground, cracking his head. Lucien struggled to stay awake, but his head hurt and he was dizzy and people were making too much noise and his eye, his damned eye, it was hurting his head like it did sometimes and all turned black.

* * *

“ _LUCIEN_!” Vassa shouted. Everyone turned, Rhysand started forward and Lucien went down. Lucien’s hand fell from his side, and that was when Cassian saw it. Lucien had a belly wound, and by the fact that it wasn’t healing, Cassian guessed it was an ash wound.

Deadly.

How long had Lucien been hiding it?

Vassa ran to him. She turned him over and ripped off part of her dress, holding it to the wound. None of the High Lords moved.

“ _What is wrong with all of you? Fucking get over here! Someone-Someone with healing powers! Something!_ ” Vassa shouted, tears in her eyes.

It was as if someone jump-started the Lords—they burst into action. Beron stood back, staring open-mouthed, but Eris was moving. He ran to his brother’s side, pushing past Azriel and Cassian.

“Why can’t you heal him? You healed Rhysand! Why is this any different?” Vassa demanded of Thesan.

“It’s an _ash_ wound-I-I don’t know if I can-And we just used any extra magic we had to save Rhysand we can’t-Not-Not again-!” Thesan stuttered as he watched Eris try and cauterize the wound.

Cassian moved towards Lucien. Eris let out a pulse of fire around him, his eyes burned with anger. “Stay away from him.” Eris snarled. “This is your fault!”

“Our fault? Had you stood up to Hybern in the first place, this war never would have happened!” Cassian snapped, his siphons gleaming dully in the waning light.

“ _Shut up_!” Vassa shoved Cassian so hard that he literally stumbled. “This isn’t about either of you! We need a healer! We need-We need something!” Vassa shouted, her firebird burning though her human form.

“My territory is closest.” Tamlin said. Everyone else fell silent, watching him walked forward. “Feyre, I have a nurse in my Court; find Alis, she’ll lead you to her.” Tamlin walked up to Eris, holding on to both him and Lucien and the two of them winnowed away.

* * *

The waiting room was almost empty. Eris sat there. He wouldn’t let Beron or his Mother in the room. Helion had gone home, after much protesting. Rhysand and his Inner Circle had been sent home by Feyre. Elain wouldn’t even walk into the Spring Manor, though she did seem slightly upset to leave somewhere with such beautiful growing weather. Thesan had gone back to Dawn but had sent back his best healer. Kallias had gone home with Viviane, but they sent presents weekly. Tarquin had left Varian to stay, needed back in Summer with the unrest brewing at home.

Vassa refused to leave. No one tried to tell her to go, anymore. Eris had tried to throw her out once and she’d verbally ripped into him so badly he hadn’t spoken for three days. Jurian had gone back to the Mortal Lands, he was living in a mansion gifted to Vassa and Lucien after the war.

Hart and Bron guarded the door to Lucien’s recovery room, not even letting in Tamlin. They followed the Courts’ head healers strict instructions to the letter.

Madja poked her head out of the door. “Vassa?”

The woman’s head popped up, fire burning in her eyes.

“He wants to see you.”

Vassa stood and shot a smirk at Eris before flouncing into the recovery room.

Eris snarled after her, simmering with anger. Vassa seemed to have that magic power to piss off anyone she wanted. Which explained how she’d gotten cursed in the first place (not that Feyre ever dared to say such a thing).

Madja opened the door just enough for Vassa to squeeze though and then closed it behind her.

“Remember the rules-”

“I know.” Vassa huffed. “No antagonizing him. No excitement. Nothing that should worry him. No illicit food.” Vassa glared at Madja as if these rules were just so she could be cruel.

“You can go on.” Madja said nodding to the chair by the bed.

The recovery room wasn’t large but it wasn’t small. It had Lucien’s bed, a chair, and a dresser which was stuffed with medical supplies. There was a small but full bath off to the side, but Lucien wasn’t up to using it yet. There was also an adjoining room where the five healers slept so that they could be on call.

“Hi Lucien. You wanted to see me?”

Lucien blinked open his good eye. A small smile curved on his lips. “Hi Vassa.” He rasped. He tried to turn over slowly, but he grimaced and gave up on moving. “I wasn’t sleeping.” He insisted.

“Oh?” Vassa asked, raising a delicate eyebrow with humor dancing on her face.

“No. I was...” Lucien took a heavy breath. His lungs scratched against his chest, wheezing. Vassa leaned forward, at his side in a second. “… waiting … for you.” The smile softened. “I’m…” wheeze “… okay. Sit… please, sit.”

Vassa sat back in the visitor’s chair cautiously.

“So… tell me… the goss… ip.”

Vassa grinned. “With pleasure.”

* * *

“Lucien?”

Lucien’s eyes were closed and he let out a sigh of air that was barely a response. “Hmm?”

“Do you want me to leave so you can sleep?”

Lucien was too tired to shake his head, but he didn’t want to be alone again. “I’m … listening.” He breathed.

“Anyway, Jurian has invited us to his Manor once you get better, if I still have-” Vassa stopped short. ‘-If I still have… this form.”

“Vassa?”

“Yeah?”

“I… would like that...”

“Living with Jurian?”

“And… you. Living with both… of you.”

“Our Band of Exiles, huh?”

Lucien laughed weakly, as if he was already half asleep (which he was).

“Vassa?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll… I’ll save you… if it’s the last thing I do.”

Vassa’s heart broke. “Lucien, you need to work on getting better, you know that.”

“It’s… okay… Vassa. It’s time to stop… to stop hiding, Vassa. Time to… to come out… into… into the world. Time to get… to get…” A soft breath.

“To get what?”

But Lucien was already asleep. Vassa took his hand in hers.

Madja poked her head in the room. She’d left them alone for privacy.

“Time to go.” She said.

Vassa nodded. She took a last look at Lucien. He seemed so peaceful while he slept. She pressed a kiss to his hand, only once she’d stood did she realize she’d left a red smudge on the back of his hand. For the front they vaguely looked like lips, but from the side… from the side they looked like a phoenix unfurled. Rising and ready to burn.

Time to stop hiding.

“If he calls for me again-”

“I’ll get you at once, Queen.” Madja said, bowing her head slightly.

The woman threw back her shoulders.

Time to stop hiding.

Time to get well.

Vassa strode from the room, flames licking her feet. In his bed Lucien woke up, and summoned his strength to turn over and watch her go.

Madja sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair. “Go back to sleep, Lucien. You have to get better.”

Lucien let his eyelids drip back down until they were closed. Lucien slept well.


End file.
